Some advice...

[HarrySound]

Hi all.

I've had a Custom 22 SE for a few years now and since buying it i've exchanged the pickup to Tremonti (bridge) and Vintage Bass (neck).
I really like what I got, especially with the coil tap.

I've been looking to get a 'real' PRS for many years now and I think I might be getting close to making that purchase.
I've seen a beautiful Custom 24 30th Anniversary I can't stop looking at online. It comes with 85/15 pickups of course and thats my worry.
http://worldguitars.co.uk/charcoal-pattern-thin-219830
Most of the demos i've seen on youtube have all sounded slight thin with an emphasis on the higher end. Not much warm bass or rounded solo tone. More cutting.
Is this the case with these pickups? or have I just been looking at junk videos.

My own personal style of music is quite wide range with a bad of Hendrix, Knopfler mixed in with plenty of Tremonti and Hetfield not to mention everything in between.


If the guitar had HFS pickups in it I think I would have bought it by now.
Any advice?

 

[Mixstar]

If I had any intention of spending that much money I'd definitely want my hands on it, or something similar, before I forked out. PMT in Norwich may have something you can play? And yes, the audio via YouTube can be dodgy there's nothing like a hands on.

 

[HarrySound]

Ha!, you know such is my experience with guitar shops I hadn't even thought of that.

The very idea of walking into a guitar shop and asking to try out 3k guitar without being met with raised eyebrows and silly excuses seems like a fantasy to me.

Last time I went into a guitar shop they said "look are you actually ping to buy anything or have you just come to play around?" Before then asking me " do you want to buy this fire extinguisher?"
And the "guys, the boss doesn't like it when people jam"

....but your right I should make an effort if only to try out those pickups.

 

[László]

Hi all.

I've had a Custom 22 SE for a few years now and since buying it i've exchanged the pickup to Tremonti (bridge) and Vintage Bass (neck).
I really like what I got, especially with the coil tap.

I've been looking to get a 'real' PRS for many years now and I think I might be getting close to making that purchase.
I've seen a beautiful Custom 24 30th Anniversary I can't stop looking at online. It comes with 85/15 pickups of course and thats my worry.
http://worldguitars.co.uk/charcoal-pattern-thin-219830
Most of the demos i've seen on youtube have all sounded slight thin with an emphasis on the higher end. Not much warm bass or rounded solo tone. More cutting.
Is this the case with these pickups? or have I just been looking at junk videos.

My own personal style of music is quite wide range with a bad of Hendrix, Knopfler mixed in with plenty of Tremonti and Hetfield not to mention everything in between.


If the guitar had HFS pickups in it I think I would have bought it by now.
Any advice?

Try one if you get the chance. I love mine.

Here's a link to a track I did with my 30th and a DG30 amp for a recent project. Please forgive the playing. I was going to hire someone really good, but the clients said "don't change a thing." So I didn't.

There are two semi-scratchy-clean tracks, and a solo track where I pushed the amp a little with a boost.

The mix is pretty dense in terms of instrumentation, but I think you can get an idea of the character of the guitar with this amp. 'Course, it sounds different with other amps, and I play lots of styles, so there's that. I find the tone control really works well, and I don't understand why anyone would just set everything on the guitar to 10, but that could be why the demos sound bright.

The guitar has been my #1 on recent projects.

All the parts here were played on the bridge pickup except one was middle position, both pickups. I can't remember which track that was, though! If I used EQ (I don't always EQ guitar in my mixes) it would have been to boost a little bit in the upper mids and highs and roll off a little bottom end to clear out room for the bass. If you listen on good speakers or good headphones you'll find this more useful than on computer speakers.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/fc-instrumental

 

[HarrySound]

Thanks for that. Sounds more like what I'm after. Great little track there.

It made me have a brain wave though.
It would be really cool if someone uploaded some dry signal playing to Soundcloud or something and allowed it to be downloaded so I could put it through my amp modelling software (I don't use amps)

I might actually do that myself for my current pick ups

 

[Kazz]

If you do buy it and don't like the pickups, I (and I'm sure a dozen other people here) will trade you a set of HFS/VB pickups for them.

 

[HarrySound]

That could be an option.
if only my soldering was actually decent.
i checked my local stores website and they don't have any PRS guitars. I don't think anyone is selling them around here so it's back to the Russian roulette blind purchase scenario.

 

[Goldtop]

Try one if you get the chance. I love mine.

Here's a link to a track I did with my 30th and a DG30 amp for a recent project. Please forgive the playing. I was going to hire someone really good, but the clients said "don't change a thing." So I didn't.

There are two semi-scratchy-clean tracks, and a solo track where I pushed the amp a little with a boost.

The mix is pretty dense in terms of instrumentation, but I think you can get an idea of the character of the guitar with this amp. 'Course, it sounds different with other amps, and I play lots of styles, so there's that. I find the tone control really works well, and I don't understand why anyone would just set everything on the guitar to 10, but that could be why the demos sound bright.

The guitar has been my #1 on recent projects.

All the parts here were played on the bridge pickup except one was middle position, both pickups. I can't remember which track that was, though! If I used EQ (I don't always EQ guitar in my mixes) it would have been to boost a little bit in the upper mids and highs and roll off a little bottom end to clear out room for the bass. If you listen on good speakers or good headphones you'll find this more useful than on computer speakers.

https://soundcloud.com/lschefman/fc-instrumental

I gotta tell you, I love that! I'd like to have an entire album/CD of that. Great playing, tones, the mix... Fantastic! Thanks for sharing that.

Lloyd

 

[insanegoldfish]

That could be an option.
if only my soldering was actually decent.
i checked my local stores website and they don't have any PRS guitars. I don't think anyone is selling them around here so it's back to the Russian roulette blind purchase scenario.

I have a custom 24 with the VB and HFS pickups, if you get that guitar and don't like the pups, I may trade ya if you wanted :-D Played a 30th at the factory and loved it. Have a feeling you would love the setup as well

 

[DuncanCE22]

The guys at world guitars are pro's so I bet if you emailed them and asked for some sound clips of that guitar with the amp settings you want, I'm sure they'd do it for you. they're not your average guitar shop and are used to going the extra mile for customers.